Radio networks may often be established on an ad hoc basis, such as during emergency situations, or in battlefield use where communications typically must be quickly established between multiple users. Such networks are often referred to in the industry as Mobile Ad hoc NETworks, or MANETs. In addition to multiple users initially present in these situations, provision may also be made for additional radios, or nodes, joining or leaving the network without preplanning or configuration, interference problems, incompatibility issues and the like.
Radio networks may transmit a variety of signals, including data such as telemetry and voice signals that may be encoded or digitally modulated. Such signals may be packetized for digital transmission. Packetized wireless data signals may be similar to those traveling over a wired data network, such as Ethernet over category 5 wire, or similar wired data networks. In such networks these packetized signals may collide or interfere with each other if simultaneous or near simultaneous transmissions are made, which can cause a loss of data, interference or the like.